Switch structure



Nov. 17, 1931. P. R. FORMAN SWITCH STRUCTURE Original Filed Jan. '7.1928 Insulnh'on Glaas INVENTOR 2 2 Par) Rl orman BY 3 i A RNEYS PatentedNov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PARIS B. ROMAN, OI BAHWAY, NEWJERSEY, ASSIGNOB T NATIONAL PNEUMATIC COMPANY, 01' NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA swri'cii srmic'runn Original applicationfiled January 7, 1988, Serial 110. 245,198. Divided and this applicationilled June 10,

' 1980. Serial No. 460,126.

This invention relates in general to improvements in switch structure.

One of the objects of this invention is the rovision ofa switch arrangedto be moved I into closed position and to be moved to open positionelectromagnetically.

A further object of this invention is the provision in a switch of thisstructure of manual means for closin the switch, and spring 10 actuatedmeans for orcing it open when the manual means is released.

A still further object of this invention is the provision in a switch ofthis type of means operable by a key for opening and OlOSlIlg theswitch.

A still further object is the provision of electromagnetic means foropenin the switch after it has been closed by the ey means.

A still further object of this invention s the provision of a toggleconnection operated into a straight line position when the switch isclosed and electromagnetic means for breaking the toggle connection tocause the switch to open.

25 A still further object of this invention is the rovision of a switchof this type which is a apted to be used for example on a vehicle wall,such as a subway car, and mounted thereon so that it ma be manuallyoperated from the interior of t e car, and key operated from theexterior of the car, as well as electrically operated from a remotepoint.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a switch which isadapted to be 35 used with the apparatus disclosed in my condingapplication Serial No. 245,198, filed .iinuary 7, 1928, which becamePatent No. 1,770,484 on July .15, 1930. These and many other objects aresecured by means of the structure of this invention.

This application is a divisional application of my copending applicationSerial No. 245,198, filed January 7, 1928'. v

This invention resides substantially in the combination, construction,arrangement, and relative location of parts, all as will be (181 scribedin detail below.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional viewtaken on the line 1-1- of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the device.

The construction and operation of the switch will best be understood bydirect and detailed reference to the drawings. At 1 is shown a casingprovided with a threaded opening 2 to receive in the usual manner awiring conduit. At 3 is a removable cover for the casing 1 having aprojecting portion near the top, asshown, which in turn is provided witha removable cover 14 in which is mounted a glass window 34. Within thecasing 1 and secured thereto are the supporting posts 4 on which a sheetof insulating material 5 is mounted. Secured to the supporting plate 5at spaced intervals are pairs of pro ecting contact studs 6, 7 and 8.Likewise secured to the supporting panel 5 are the combined guides andstops 9 and 10. Mounted in these I supports 9 and 10 is a verticallyslidable rod.

13 which has secured to it, as shown, a small collar 11 towards thelower end and a similar collar 12 near the upper end.

With rod 13 in the position shown in the drawings, collar 11 engages thesupport 9 to limit the downward movement of the rod. Transverselyjournaled in the top of the casing is a shaft 14 on which is mounted alever having a projecting handle 15 which extends into the raisedportion of-the cover and terminates adjacent the glass plate 34. Theother end 16 of this lever is bifurcated and extends around shaft 13just below col- 1:11 12. Pivotally connected to the lever at Y 18 is apin 17 which extends throu h an opening in the casing and is encircled ya s ring 19 which lies between the casing and a ange on the pin, asshown in Fig. 1.

At 20, 21 and 22 are contact discs which are slidably supported .on red13 and electrically insulated therefrom. Between these discs andencircling the rod 13 are springs 23. Upper contact disc engages thestop 20' secured to the shaft 13 to limit its u ward movement. At 24 isa transverse ollow spindle which is j ournaled at one end in the cover 3and into which projects through an opening in the panel 5 a shaft 27which is provided with an enlarged end 28 which is journaled in. hecasing 1. The enlarged end 28 is transversely slotted as shown toreceive a key. The inner end of spindle 27 is irregularly shaped andfits in a similar shaped socket so that the hollow spindle 24 may berotated when a key is apphed to the slot in the end 28 of the shaft 27.

Secured to the exterior of the hollow spindle 24 is a lever arm 25 whichis pivotagg connected to rod 13 by means of the li bars 26. When theswitch is to be applied to a car wall or to any'suitable sup ort anopening is provided in the car wal and a hollow thimble 29 is securedwithin that opening. Pivotally supported at 31 on a 15 suitable bracketattached to the car wall or support is a cover 30 which covers theexposed end of the thimble. The other end of the thimble is providedwith a smooth bore into which the projecting end of sleeve 29' When thecover 30 is raised a key maybe 1nserted through the thimble into theslit into the end 28 of shaft 27 to rotate it. It may be .well to pointout here that if desired the left hand end of the hollow spindle 24 maybe 25 suitably shaped to receive a key so that the thimble 24 may berotated from the other end thereof if it is desirable. Supported in thelower end of casing 1 is an electromagnetic windinglin the form of asolenoid, as shown at 32. ounted within the solenoid winding is a polepiece 36 which has a hole extending therethrough. Inkewise mountedwithin the solenoid winding is a plunger or armature 36 which isconnected to a hammer 33 by means of a rod 33 which extends through thebore in the pole p ece. When the solenoid winding 32 is energized thearmature 36 is drawn upwardl and carries with it through the agency of te rod 33' the hammer 33. Also secured to the exterior of hollow spindle24 is a short pro ecting arm 70, as shown in F ig. 2, whlch 1s moveddown into close proximity with the hammer 33.

The rod 13 is moved upwardly to straighten out the toggle or knuckleconnection which is provided between that rod and the hollow spindle 24.When rod 13 is moved upwardly contact disc 22, which normally engagesthe contact studs 8, is moved out of contact with them and contact discs21 and 20 are moved into contact with contact studs 7 and 6respectively. At this time the toggle or knuckle joint is in a straightline position and the short projecting lever 70 lies close to hammer 33.These parts are moved into this position by applying a key to theslotted end 28 of shaft 27. When it is desired to move the parts intotheir opposite position solenoid winding 32 is energized causing hammer33 to strike the short lever 70 on hollow spindle 24 causing the toggleor knuckle connection to break down, so to speak, or in other words tomove out of straight line position so that springs 23' which arecompressed may kick the parts downward. This movement is aided by theweight of the parts, as well as the impulse given to them when thehammer 33 strikes the short lever 70. The contact discs 20, 21 and 22being slidably mounted on rod 13 and controlled by sprin s 23'are neverjammed upon movement 0 the rod 13 in either direction since they will beresiliently 'pressed against the corresponding contact studs dependingupon which direction rod 13 is moved.

As shown in Fig. 2, there is mounted on clips 71 on the cover 3 asuitably shaped ham- 1ner 72. In the use of this switch on door controlsystems of vehicles it may be desirable in emergency operations tooperate these switches manually. To do this the hammer 72 is removedfrom these clips and used to break glass 34. The switch may then beoperatedmanually by means of the handle 15 to effect an energization ofthe door operating motors to cause them to open.

From the foregoin disclosure it will be apparent that I have evised auseful form of switch employing certain principles of construction andsoperation, which principles may be included in other physical formswithout departing from the spirit and sco e of this invention. I do not,therefore, desire to be strictly limited by the disclosure as given forpurposes of illustration but rather to the scope of the appended claims.

What I seek to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch of the type described, the combination comprising aplurality of fixed contacts, movable contact fingers, a rotatable shaft,a toggle connection between the rotatable shaft and the movable contactsarranged so that the toggle connection is in straight line formationwhen the movable contacts engage the fixed contacts, and electromagneticmeans acting on said shaft for knocking the. toggle connection out ofstraight line position to separate the movable contact fingers from thefixed contacts 2. In a switch structure of the type described, thecombination comprising an insulating support, a plurality of fixedcontacts on said support, a rod slidably mounted on said support,movable contacts secured to said rod, a rotatable shaft, a toggleconnection between the rotatable shaft and the slidable rod, said toggleconnection being in straight line position when the movable contactsengage the fixed contacts, and electromagnetic means for knocking thetoggle connection out of straight line position to cause the movablecontacts to move out of contact position with the fixed contacts.

3. In a switch structure of the type described, the combinationcomprising an insulating support, contacts mounted on said support, arod slidably secured to said support, contact members thereon forengagement with the fixed contacts in one position of said rod, arotatable shaft constructed to be manually operated, a toggle connectionbetween the rotatable shaft and the slidable rod, said parts beingarranged so that the rotatable shaft may be manually rotated to causethe slidable rod to move so that the contacts thereon will engage withthe fixed contacts and the toggle connection in the 0 straight lineposition, and electromagnetic means for moving the toggle connection outof straight line position.

4. In a switch structure of the type described, the combinationcomprising an insulating support, contacts mounted on said support, arod slidably secured to said support, contact members thereon forengagement with the fixed contacts in one position of said rod, arotatable shaft constructed to be manually operated, a toggle connectionbetween the rotatable shaft and the slidable rod, said parts beinarranged so that the rotatable shaft mayfiie manually rotated to causethe slidable rod to move so that the contacts thereon will engage withthe fixed contacts and the toggle connection in the straight lineposition, electromagnetic means for moving the toggle connection out ofstraight line position, and manual means enao gaging said slidable rod bmeans of which the contacts may be move into engagement with the fixedcontacts independently of the manual operation of the rotatable shaft.

5. In a switch of the type described, the x:- combination comprising acasin fixed contacts within said casing, a rod s idably supported withinthe casing, contact members on said rod, a rotatable means journaled inthe casing adapted to be manually operated connections between therotatable means an the slidable rod forming a toggle joint, the togglejoint being moved into straight line position when the slidable rod ismoved to effect engagement between the movable contacts an the fixedcontacts, and electromagnetic means arranged to move the toggleconnection out of straight line position when energized, a manuallyoperable lever within the casing for moving the slidable rod and adestructible window in the casing adjacent the manuall o rable leverthrough which access may be ad thereto.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 3rd da of June,A. D. 1930.

I PA IS R. FORMAN.

